A quiet, unassuming man, Ron is
probably best remembered, if remembered at all, for saddling Olywyn
to win the Irish Oaks in 1977. Thought good enough to contest the
Criterium des Pouliches at Longchamp as a two-year-old, the Relko
filly lined up at the Curragh a maiden after nine races, having been
beaten in the Pretty Polly Stakes, the Warwick Oaks, the Oaks proper,
the Lancashire Oaks and a maiden race at Bath, at long odds-on, just
for good measure.
However, Ron clearly knew the time of
day because, forcefully ridden by John ‘Kipper’ Lynch,
Olwyn was never headed and held on to win in a blanket finish with
Sassabunda and Nanticious. Ron later recalled, “I thought after
Epsom that we had the best staying filly even though she only had one
pace. She was a long-striding filly and I knew the course at Epsom
didn’t suit her, but that the track at The Curragh would.”
Ron enjoyed two victories at Royal
Ascot, Cramond in the 1976 Queen Mary Stakes and Emboss in the 1977
Norfolk Stakes and won the Middle Park Stakes at Newmarket two years
running with Mon Tresor in 1988 and Balla Cove in 1989. He retired
back to Barry in 1997 after 25 years at Phoenix Lodge Stables in
Newmarket and later described the victory of Captain’s Wings –
who was backed from 50/1 to 13/2 – in the 1978 Lincoln as one of
his “best highlights”.
